Bottle Bills Prevent Litter

In response to the growing litter problem of the 1960's and 1970's, activists and policymakers in Oregon and Vermont fought successfully to secure mandatory refundable deposits on throwaway beverage containers. Encouraged by their success, advocates in dozens of other states campaigned for deposit laws, and by 1986, bottle bills were in place in 10 states.

Today, litter prevention is still a potent motivation for activists, although many bottle bill efforts are also being driven by the desire to increase recycling and promote producer responsibility. Government-funded studies conducted pre- and post-bottle bill in seven states showed reductions in beverage container litter ranging from 69% to 84%, and reductions in total litter ranging from 30% to 65%. More studies, described below, affirm 4 basic conclusions about bottle bills.